Endless-chain sickle for headers, mowers, &amp;c.



PATBNTED JULY l2, 1904.

l EKEL. BNDLESS CHAIN SIVGKLB PoR HEADBRS, MoWBRs, am.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 23. 1903.

K0 MODEL.

.6.... .d a N S nbenboc @with ewes A I J l @Swmf SH01 11 d Patented July 12, 1904.

UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY S. EKEL, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

ENDLESS-CHAIN SICKLE FOR HEADERS, MOWERS, o.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,567, dated July 12, 1904.

Application led November 23, 1903. Serial No. 182,358. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hexer S. EKEL, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Endless-Chain Sickles for Headers, Mowers, eine.; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to an endless eutting apparatus for headers, mowers, and the like; and the novelty consists in t-he peculiar combination, arrangement, and adaptation of the various parts for service.

The object of my invention is to produce a cutting device in which are employed a series of movable independentcutters forming when in operation an endless-chain sickle.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction of said cutters and in the devices for operating and retaining them in the proper position, all of which will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. y

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I

will now proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, fully to describe the same.

Referringl to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a mowing-machine with my improved endless-chain sickle attached. Fig. 2 is a sectional view shown through a line :if :r

of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of anenlarged section of my improved endless-cham sickle. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a line s a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a line ,1/ 1/ of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

1 designates the driving-wheel of the machine.

2 designates a coupling-bar adapted to vibrate on the axle of the machine.

3 is a finger-bar hereinafter described.

4 and 4 are plates attached to the top and bottom. respectively, of the finger-bar 3 and extending over the edges thereof enough to inclose hinge-blocks 17, hereinafter described, at the frontthe pulley 6, hereinafter described, at the inner end, the pulley 16 at the outer end, and the blocks 17 and knives 19, hereinafter described, at the back.

5 is a standard located in and projecting upward through the overhanging ends of the plates 4 and 4 at the inner end of the lingerbar 3.

6 is a pulley rotating around the standard 5 between the plates 4 and 4".

7 is a small spur-wheel forming a component part of the pulley 6 and rotating around the standard 5 and resting on the top of the plate 4.

8 is a spur or axle composing a component part of the standard 5 and projecting at right angles therefrom.

9 is a spur-wheel larger than the spurwheel 7, rotating on the axle 8 and coacting with the spur-wheel 7.

10 is a small sprocket-wheel forming a component part of the spur-wheel 9 and rotating on the axle 8.

11 is a link chain connecting the sprocketwheel 1() to the sprocket-wheel 12, hereinafter described.

12 is a sprocket-wheel securely attached to the driving-wheel 1 and rotating in unison with said driving-wheel.

13 and 13 are slots in the plates 4 and 4, respectively, in the parts overlapping the finger-bar at the outer end.

14 is a pin or axle having a flange at the bottom. Said axle extends upward through the slots 13 and 13.

.15 isa set-screw acting on the top of the axle 14.

15 is a washer fitting over the top of the axle 14 and extending across the slot 13. The set-screw 15 screws down against this washer.

l Wgr,

' blocks.

21 is a hinge by which the cutting-gear is fastened to the coupling-gear. l

The mode of operating my improved endless sickle is as follows: The blocks 17 are all linked together, with a sickle-knife fastened in each block. This endless-chain sickle is placed around the pulleys 5 and 16. The chain is then tightened by forcing the pulley 16 outward by means of the slots 13 and 13 and setscrew 15. Said set-screw is then tightened. The machine is pulled forward by any power desired. The driving-wheel l revolves the sprocket-wheel 12, which in turn sets in motion the sprocket'wheel 10 by means of chain l1. This rotates the spur-wheel 9, the teeth of which coact with the teeth of the spur-wheel 7. Said spur-wheel 'lsfts in motion the pulley 6, and thus the chain-sickle is pulled continuously around. The pulley 16 is rotated by the pull of the chain.

Of course in connection with my improved endless-chain sickle I will use the ordinary guards and other apparatus now in use on grass-cutting machines.

In practice a foot-lever may be suitably attached near the seat of the machine for the purpose of raising and lowering the cutting apparatus by means of the hinge 1i'.

Although I have shown my invention in connection with a mowing-machine,it can be used in all grass or grain cutting machines.

I have shown the pulleys 6 and 16 as being six-sided in shape. ln practice, however, they may be any shape, adaptable to the size of th'e blocks l5. f

Any ordinary divider will of course be used where my invention is operated in connection with a mowing-machine. I have not shown this in the drawings, as l wished to simplify my description as much as possible.

In the event of the endless chair. becoming worn out to such an extent that it will become loose or sag or when it is found necessary to l regulate the tension of the same in any way l.l have provided the tigditening,r device 13 13 I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement g of parts embraced in the present and prev ferredembmlimentofnrvinvcntion inorderto l impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or nuxlilications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my claims.

I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1i' provided with the. lips 18 at one end and corone block being adapted to tit into socketsof' the other, beveled slots in said blocks, sickleknives fitted into said slots. pins lt) passing lips in the sockets and means for rotating said endless-chain sickle in a grass or grain cutting machine, all as set forth. V 2. ln a grass-cutting or grain-cutting machine the combination with the driving-wheel of a suitable coupling-frame. the finger-barf, the plates 4 and 4" attached to said linger-bar,

standard 5 located in and extending,r upward through the overlapping ends of the plates 4 and 4" at the inner end of the finger-bar` the of said standard. the pulley 6 rotating around the standard 5 between the plates 4 and 4,-

of the pulleyand rotating around the standard 5 above the plate 4, the spur-whee J vrotating on the axle 8 and coacting with the spur-wheel .7, the small sprocket-wheel 1,() forming a component part of the spur-wheel 9 and rotatingon the axle 8,the large sprocketwheel 12 forming a component part of and rotating in unison with the driving-wheel, the chain 11 engaging with and connecting the said sproeket-wheels 10 and 12, the slots 13 and 13 in the outer overlapping ends of the. plates 4 and 4 respectively, the axle 1414 15 the hinge 2l joining the plate 4 tothe coupling-bar, and an endless-chain sickle adapted to revolve on the pulleys 6 and 16, all as set forth.

3. In a device of the type set forth, 'a linger-bar having plates attached to its topA and bottom` a standard passing through the plates, g with a pulley mounted thereon and lying between the plates, said pulley carrying a spurl wheel lying on top of the upper plate` a spurwheel carried by thel standard meshing with the lirst-named spur-wheel, means for driving the second-named spur-wheel, an adjustable I pulley and a chain-sickle operating over said l pulleys. v 4. ln a device of the type set forth, a pair of spaced plates with pulleys mounted thcreunderstood as conlining nl vselfto such specilic responding sockets at the other. the lips ofv through said sickle-knives and securing the overlapping it in the manner described, the' the spur-wheel i' forming a component part Having thus described my invention, what 1. 'lhe combination of an endless-chain sickle constructed as follows: of the blocks` roecting axle 8 forming a com ionent art .l

acting through said slots, the pulley 16 rotat# ing on said axle, the tightening device landl IIO ..wgs ....m..I

lvys is mnuntrd, a spur-whvel carried by said IntvstmonywhoreofI havo Signed my name pulluy am] rusting on the uplwr plsltv, nspul'- tnthis spucificntion in the prosenceof two sulwlwol on said standard mvslxngr with thv ilstsclibng witnesses. mumd spur-wlwel and ext-vmlingnt right :m- HENRY S. EKEL.

3 glas thm-cto, means for driving said frsi "itnesses: named spur-whecl and a chain-sickle opcmt- PERCY S. 'Ens'luk,

, ingr over said pulleys. JOSHUA B. 'EBSTER. 

